Chaos Zero Nightmare Glossary
Every core term explained simply — attributes, classes, gacha and combat systems.
Chaos Zero Nightmare Glossary
New to Chaos Zero Nightmare? This glossary explains the words the game and the community throw around, grouped by system so you can find them fast.
Attributes 5
Passion
One of the five combat Attributes in Chaos Zero Nightmare (fiery red theme). Every combatant and enemy carries exactly one Attribute; you can filter the whole roster by it in the Combatants list.
Void
One of the five combat Attributes (violet theme). Attribute decides which combatants share a damage identity; use it together with Class when building a squad.
Instinct
One of the five combat Attributes (amber theme). Shown as a small icon on every combatant card across the site.
Order
One of the five combat Attributes (green theme). Balancing Attributes across a team spreads out your damage types.
Justice
One of the five combat Attributes (blue theme). One of the two most common starting-roster Attributes players build around early.
Classes 6
Striker
One of the six combatant Classes (roles) in CZN. Class works alongside Attribute to define a unit; filter combatants by Class in the roster.
Psionic
One of the six combatant Classes in CZN. Each combatant belongs to exactly one Class.
Vanguard
One of the six combatant Classes in CZN. Class is one of the two main filters (with Attribute) when planning a team.
Ranger
One of the six combatant Classes in CZN. Shown next to Attribute on each combatant profile.
Hunter
One of the six combatant Classes in CZN.
Controller
One of the six combatant Classes in CZN. A Controller-labelled combatant sits in the roster alongside the other five Classes.
Combat 2
Tenacity
A resistance-style gauge enemies build up during a fight. Wearing an enemy's Tenacity down is what eventually pushes it into its Ravage State, opening a burst window.
Ravage State
The vulnerable state an enemy enters once its Tenacity is broken — the moment to unload your strongest skills for extra damage.
Gacha & Pity 4
Rescue (Gacha)
CZN's name for its gacha pulls. Limited banners are called "Rate Up Rescue" and feature boosted odds on a specific combatant. Plan your pulls with the Pity & Pull Planner.
Soft Pity
The point where the 5★ pull rate starts climbing steeply. In CZN's model this kicks in around pull 58, ramping up until the hard guarantee.
Hard Pity
The guaranteed 5★ ceiling. In CZN's model a 5★ is guaranteed by pull 70 at the latest — the number the Pity & Pull Planner counts toward.
50/50
When you hit a 5★ on a limited banner, there is a 50% chance it is the featured combatant. Lose it and your next 5★ is guaranteed to be the rate-up one.
Gear 1
Memory Fragment
CZN's equippable gear. Combatants have six Memory Fragment slots, and matching Fragments from the same set grants 2-piece and 4-piece bonuses — the core of end-game stat tuning.
Systems 2
Partner
A companion unit that supports your combatants. Partners are collected separately from combatants and have their own catalogue on the site.
Save Data / Deck
CZN layers a card-deck ("Save Data") system on top of the usual squad. Cards are collected and slotted to shape a run — the site catalogues every card and links it to its owning combatant.
Card & status effects 114
Damage
The basic offensive effect on attack cards: it hits for an amount equal to 35% of the combatant's ATK stat.
Shield
A defensive effect that grants a shield equal to 30% of the combatant's DEF stat, absorbing damage before Health is touched.
Heal
Restores Health based on 30% of the combatant's DEF stat, and also restores a random combatant's Stress by an amount tied to how much was healed.
Combo
Triggers when the card played right before shares the same Attribute — chaining same-Attribute cards is how you set this off.
Counterattack
When the holder takes damage, it strikes back at the attacker for 150% Defense-based damage (300% if the hit was fully blocked by Shield). Each activation removes 1 stack (max 10), and Critical Hits can apply to the counter too.
Break / Broken
"Break" fires the moment an enemy's Tenacity bar hits zero. "Broken" is the resulting state once that bar is fully emptied.
Tenacity Damage
Damage that chips away at a monster's Tenacity bar specifically, separate from its Health — this is what leads to a Break.
Fixed Damage
Damage that cannot be scaled up or down by any other effect on the field — what you see is exactly what lands.
Fixed DoT
A damage-over-time tick that ignores status effects and simply applies its fixed amount every time it ticks.
Vulnerable
A debuff that raises damage taken by 50%; it loses 1 stack the moment it triggers.
Weaken
A debuff that cuts the target's outgoing damage by 25%, losing 1 stack every time it activates.
Immunity
Blocks the holder from gaining any new harmful effects while active; each time it protects against one, its own stack drops by 1.
Mark
When the marked unit uses an Attack Card, it triggers a 100% Extra Attack and deals Tenacity Damage at zero extra cost, then Mark drops by 1.
Morale
Each stack of Morale adds a flat 20% more damage to what the holder deals.
Agony
At the end of the turn it deals Fixed DoT equal to 50% of its current stack count; activating it then halves the stack (capped at 20 stacks total).
Bind
Copies of a Bind Card owned by the same unit merge into a single card while in the same pile or hand. At 3 or more stacks it changes into "Shadow of the Moon+"; playing the card resets the stack (max 5).
Exhaust
A card tag: once used, the card moves to the Exhaust pile instead of the normal discard, so it will not come back to your hand for the rest of the run.
Retain
A card tag meaning this card survives the end-of-turn discard and stays in your hand for the next turn.
Unique
A card tag capping how many copies of that card you can hold at once: no more than 1.
Ravage (effect)
Fires when a monster's Tenacity has been fully reduced; if the monster is Ravaged this way, the attacking side also gains 1 Action Point.
Quest Card
A special family of cards — Triple 0, Triple 1, Straight and Full House — earned only by completing Cassius Quests.
Action Count
Counts down the number of card uses left before the monster takes its action; hits 0 and the monster moves.
Action Slow
When an ally plays a Haste card, all enemies lose 1 Morale for 1 turn; using the effect removes 1 Action Slow stack.
Afterglow
+1 Tenacity Damage on Attack Cards, plus +50% Damage while in a Ravage state; activating removes 1 stack.
Attack Weakness
Attacking a monster's weak Attribute deals more damage and chips extra off its Tenacity.
Ballista
Umbrella name for the Ballista-family cards (Piercing, Enhanced, Giant, Shelling, Micro Ballista).
Basic Card
A starting card whose only job is Damage, Shield or Heal — nothing extra attached.
Blessing
If current Shield is below 30% of max Health, discarding this card from hand grants a Fixed Shield worth 60%.
Blocked
This card's effects don't fire when played, but playing it removes the Seal on it.
Bullet
Marks cards that belong to the Bullet family.
Celestial
Activates whenever a card costing 2 or more is used.
Chain
Repeats the same effect again at the start of the next turn, with no extra modifiers added.
Chronal Ascension
Rita's Basic/Unique Cards spend this instead of normal Cost; Costs paid this way don't grant Chronicle, and it clears at end of turn.
Chronicle
Decreases at the start of each turn, converting each point lost into Chronal Ascension (cap 6); can't gain Chronicle while holding Chronal Ascension.
Combo (tag)
Fires this card automatically whenever an ally plays a card.
Commence the Hunt
Using a Targeting Attack Card deals 50% Extra Attack to the target and removes 1 stack; each remaining stack adds +30% Extra Attack damage (max 5).
Coordinated Attack
When an ally attacks, joins in for a follow-up hit worth 100% of Attack Power.
Creation
The three summon types Orlea can create (Softie/Swiftie/Sturdie); matching creature copies in hand merge and evolve up to 3 stages (★/★★/★★★).
Cursed Shackles
When an ally hits a Cursed Shackles target with a non-Bind Attack Card, gain 1 Will-O'-Wisp per Hit Count; moving the debuff to a new target removes it from the old one.
Damage Reduction
Cuts incoming damage by 15%; activating it removes 1 stack.
Dark Mist Stance
The active state from Rin's Dark Mist Blade Art card; it drops the moment another combatant's Attack Card is used.
Death Brand
+80% Damage each time an Attack Card hits a target already carrying Death Brand.
Decibel
On Shuffle, deals 50% Extra Attack from an ally to a random enemy and removes itself; each stack also heals 50% and adds +50% Extra Attack damage (max 5 stacks).
Defeat
Fires its attached effect the moment the target is defeated.
Defense Damage
Damage computed from 210% of Defense plus 30% of Attack.
Deluge
At the start of the turn, gains Wave 1.
Descent
At 8+ stacks, creates a Heavensfall card in hand and Descent drops by 8 (up to 10 times a turn).
Destroy
Fires when the target is defeated or in the Downed state.
Dirge Bullet
Deals 160% damage; when discarded, follows up with 120% Extra Attack on a random enemy.
Dream of the Devoured
Attack Card damage +17%; removes itself once used.
Effulgent Light
At 3 stacks, turns Effulgent Compression into Effulgent Release, then removes itself.
Elasticity
On an ally's Extra Attack, heals 50% per stack; activating removes 1 stack (max 5).
Ember
Hitting or defeating a Breakthrough target adds +30% damage per Ember stack the target holds, then removes itself (max 5 stacks).
Engrave Agony
Every time Agony is gained, gain 2 extra Agony on top.
Ephemeral
If this card is still in hand at the end of the turn, it gets Exhausted.
Exhaust (numbered)
Variant of Exhaust that needs a set number of uses (1, 2, 3 or 5) before the card moves to the Exhaust pile.
Finale
Playing this card ends the turn immediately.
Fixed Shield
A shield value that ignores every ongoing effect that would otherwise change it.
Flame Arts
At 3 stacks, deals 120% Extra Attack to the last enemy attacked, then Flame Arts drops by 3.
Forbidden
Blocks Epiphany, Duplicate and Removal from being used on this card.
Form Upgrade
While in hand, activating an Archetype card boosts a random effect on this card by 100% until it's used (max 3 stacks).
Fortitude
Cuts damage taken by 20% for every Tenacity stack held.
Harmonization
Triggers when this card's Cost exactly matches your current Action Points.
Haste
Playing this card doesn't tick down the enemy's action count.
Heart Bullet
Umbrella name for the Heart Breaker / Heart Shaker cards.
Honed Edge / Honed Edge+
Raises Attack Cards' Defense-based Damage by 20% for 1 turn (max 3 stacks); Honed Edge+ is the upgraded copy of the same effect.
Ice Wall
Counterattacks every enemy for 1 turn.
Impair
-50% Shield gained; using it removes 1 stack.
Incinerate
Fires only when this card gets Exhausted.
Inhibit
AP can't be changed by gain/loss effects (except this unit's own cards, continuous effects, turn-start or Ravage sources); also adds 1 Hit to Shadow of the Moon / Shadow of the Moon+.
Initiation
Puts this card on top of the Draw Pile right at the start of battle.
Inspiration
Activates only when this card is drawn through an ability rather than the normal draw.
Joint Attack
Same as Coordinated Attack: joins an ally's attack for a follow-up hit worth 100% Attack Power.
Launcher Bullet
Umbrella name for the Launcher-family cards: Flashbang, Explosive Shot, Dispersing Shot, Flame Shot, Cold Shot.
Lead
At the start of the turn, 50% chance to cut this card's Cost by 1; the discount disappears once another card is used.
Linked
Manually playing this card discards every other Linked card currently in hand.
Lux Blessing
Deals Fixed Damage equal to whatever Shield just blocked, plus +50% Damage per Lux Engraving; activating removes 1 stack.
Lux Engraving
Boosts the Persona Card Engraving effect of this unit's Persona Card and equipment for each Lux Engraving held.
Maribell Shelter MK.II
When an ally plays an Attack Card, gain Fixed Shield equal to 30% of the damage it dealt.
Mental Breakdown
Blocks gaining, Epiphany-ing or removing cards, and stops this unit's Ego Skill from being used.
Metallization
When Shield is gained via an ability, also deals 80% Defense-based Damage to a random enemy and grants 80% Shield.
Opener
At the start of battle, this card activates by spending AP; if AP is short, it simply doesn't trigger.
Passion (card effect)
Fires any time a Passion-Attribute card is played.
Passion Weakness
For 1 turn, Passion-Attribute cards count as Weakness Attacks.
Performance Burnout
At 30 stacks, Rhythm Cards can't be used until it's cleared at end of turn.
Performance Buzz
At the end of the turn, deals 100% Damage to random enemies per stack held (max 10 stacks).
Ponopoko's Cheer
-10% Damage Taken; removes itself when triggered (max 3 stacks).
Predation
While in a Voracity state, Attack Cards deal +80% Damage; activating removes 1 stack.
Pulverize
+20% Damage when hitting a target that has Shield.
Punishment
When Shield is gained, deals 200% Fixed Damage to all allies and Punishment drops by 1.
Quietus
Activates on Discard, and the card can't leave the Used Card Pile again that turn.
Reload
+50% Ballista Damage; clears at the end of the turn (max 3 stacks).
Remove
Playing this card takes it completely out of the deck for the run.
Resolve
Each Resolve stack adds a flat +20 to Shield gained.
Resonance
On Discard, deals 80% Extra Attack, then Resonance drops by 1.
Retain Dark Mist Stance
For 1 turn, keeps Dark Mist Stance alive even when another combatant uses an Attack Card.
Retain Shield
At the end of the turn, whatever Shield is left over carries into the next one.
Retrieve
Sends this card back to hand instead of the Graveyard when it would go there; a numbered version (Retrieve 3 / Retrieve 4) limits how many times before the ability itself is removed.
Rhythm Cards
Special cards created by Tenebria; Damage Type follows the Class of whoever owns them, and each activation grants 1 Performance Burnout.
Save
Keeps your Action Points instead of spending them; using it reduces Storage by 1.
Shock
Being targeted by an Attack Card deals 80% Fixed damage; if the monster still has Shield, that damage is +50%.
Shockwave
When a target holding this is hit by a card, deals 300% Fixed Damage to every other target; activating removes 1 stack.
Silver Veil
At 3 stacks, deals 400% Defense-based Damage to all enemies, then removes itself.
Spore Propagation
+10% Damage Taken; activating clears every stack of it at once.
Super Carrot Power!
+18% Attack Card damage for the combatant; removes itself when triggered.
Tactical Analysis
At the end of the turn, gains Wave equal to whatever Action Points are still held.
Tenacity (card effect)
Marks a monster's Attribute; hitting it with a card of the same Attribute triggers Attack Weakness.
Throb
At the end of the turn, deals 70% Fixed Damage to all enemies for each Pulse stack held.
Unusable
The card simply cannot be played.
Voracity
Hitting with an Attack Card grants a 40% Fixed Heal; if Health is 50%+ it also adds +30% Attack Card damage. Activating removes 1 stack (max 30).
Wave
At 3 stacks, gains 1 Action Point and Wave drops by 3.
Weak Point Damage
Deals damage as if the attack has elemental advantage over the target.
Weakness Attack
Marks this card's attack as counting as a Weakness hit.
Will-O'-Wisp
Gathering 5 Will-O'-Wisp creates 1 Shadow of the Moon; activating removes 5 Will-O'-Wisp.
Glossary FAQ
How many Attributes and Classes are there?
Chaos Zero Nightmare has five Attributes (Passion, Void, Instinct, Order, Justice) and six Classes (Striker, Psionic, Vanguard, Ranger, Hunter, Controller). Every combatant has exactly one of each.
What is a Rate Up Rescue?
"Rescue" is the game's word for a gacha pull, and a "Rate Up Rescue" is a limited banner with boosted odds on a featured combatant. See the pity terms above to plan how many pulls you need.